Japanese chocolate uses sweet tooth to soothe frayed nerves

"Gamma-aminobutyric acid (usually abbreviated to GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found in the nervous systems of widely divergent species. It is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate central nervous system. . .(Substances) that act as agonists of GABA receptors (known as GABA analogues or GABAergic drugs) or increase the available amount of GABA typically have relaxing, anti-anxiety and anti-convulsive effects."

Now that you've identified the nasty culprit, what can you do about it?

No, this is not some pharmaceutical product. It's a typical consumer-oriented chocolate brand in Japan, the nation where confectionery and beverage marketing often treads where no western brand dares to go — the land of functionality.

Over the years, I've seen quite an array: vitamin products, energy products, digestion products, ion-balancing products, anti-constipation products, you name it. It seems that almost anything is fair game in the world of Japanese snacks and drinks.
When it comes to confectionery, Lotte is usually the brand that delivers on function. This time, however, it's Glico. According to their website, GABA Chocolate contains 280 mg of GABA per 100 grams. It's the "gentle flavor you'll want to taste when you need some healing." Whether 280 mg of GABA is actually significant, and how it's actually supposed to work, the website does not go on to say. But that's pretty much typical with these kinds of products, which are mostly launched on the crest of some wave of science news. One mass media outlet picks up a story about the latest findings on some substance, another news organization copy-cats it, and soon you get stories about the subject for weeks or months from every magazine, newspaper and tv station in the country. Usually the snack and beverage industry isn't far behind, and soon the market is flooded with products containing the essential ingredient.

After a while, some other substance becomes the darling of the press, and the cycle repeats itself.

I find the whole thing fun and fascinating to watch. It certainly keeps the store shelves interesting.